3. Man of Sorrows

Introduction

Question: How many of you would like to have a better prayer life? // What is the one thing I can change that will have the greatest impact on my prayer life?

Answer: Put away your phone—specifically, get off social media. // “For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.” —John Ortberg

Biblical Context: When you slow down, you can pray like Jesus.

Subject: In Gethsemane, we see that prayer is a place of honesty, struggle, and surrender. Prayer is striving, confessing, and finally, yielding to God’s will. And in that, we are transformed.

Body — Matthew 26:36-46 (ESV)

Prayer is a place of struggle. It is a practice of striving and wrestling.

Exposition — “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (v. 39).

Jesus fell on his face. // He asked for a different way. // He prayed three times. // It’s okay to struggle in prayer.

Jesus struggled in prayer. His disciples—closest friends—struggled to stay awake. // See Matt 26:40-41… The flesh is weak… We cannot count on our own strength or the strength of others. We need God’s strength.

God allows us to struggle in prayer not to test our strength but to exhaust our strength. It is through the struggle that we come to understand, “I’m not strong enough.” // You cannot be fully transformed by God until you come to the end of yourself.

Illustration: Kevin was a recovering alcoholic in and out of rehab. “My life didn’t change until I hit rock bottom and discovered that Jesus was the Rock at the bottom.”

Application: Where are you struggling? The struggle is actually God’s grace that will bring you to the end of yourself. Where you end, God continues. Have you come to the end of yourself?

Prayer is a place of honesty. It is a practice of vulnerability and confession.

Exposition — “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (v. 38).

“I believe. Help my unbelief.” —Mark 9:24

If we want the kind of prayer that changes our lives, we have to be honest with God—not just honest about who we want to be but who we are: the good, the bad, the ugly, the depraved.

Illustration: “The first step in solving a problem is… admitting you have one.” —Bill Wilson, founder of AA // The first step to living in God’s strength is being honest about your weakness.

Application: What do you need to say to God right now?

Prayer is a place of surrender. It is a practice of submission and resting in God’s will.

Exposition — “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (v. 39).

Jesus said again in v. 42, “Your will be done.” See Matt 25:45-46… he accepted God’s will. // He was no longer struggling or wrestling or striving—he was resting.

The struggle is not to change God’s will but to surrender to it. It’s not about changing my circumstances but surrendering my circumstances to God.

Illustration: Jacob wrestled with God (Gen 32:22-32).

God was not testing Jacob’s strength but exposing Jacob’s illusion of strength.

God asked Jacob his name before he blessed him. Jacob had to be honest about who he was.

Jacob’s limp was God’s grace—a daily reminder of his dependence on God.

Jacob limped away and was blessed. Jesus was led away and crucified.

Application: Surrender requires trust, which we can give because God is good.

Satan’s greatest lie is that God wants to keep us away from good things.

But see Ps 84:11; 34:10; Rom 8:32… If you don’t have it, it’s not good for you.

We need to stop grasping for things, and start clinging to God. That means letting go of control. What do you need to let go of?

Conclusion

God changes us in moments of honesty, struggle, and surrender.